Kyle ThorntonG321 MEDIA STUDIES

EVALUATION

FRONT COVER AND CONTENTS PAGE

PLAY LIST DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

1

IN WHAT WAY DOES YOUR

MEDIA PRODUCT USE,

DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE

FORMS AND CONVENTIONS

OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Masthead

Puff

Main Cover Line

Date Line

and Price

Additional

Cover lines

Main Cover

Image with

Direct Address

Barcode

I used a number of conventions through

out my magazine cover. I understood what

these conventions where and how to use

them through tasks such as : http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09

/q-magazine-cover-analysis.html .

I also looked further into some of the

conventions in order to better under stand

how to use it affectively in my final

product. http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01

/mastheads.html

I also attempted to structure my

magazine around the left third so this

was were I included my masthead,

pug, beginning of the main cover line

and some of the additional cover lines

URL

My magazine subscribes to typical conventions of a magazine

cover as it includes a masthead, main cover line, additional cover

l ines, as well as a date line, price and a barcode.

My biggest influence for my magazine was Q magazine but in the

end product one key dif ference was the style of photo used. Q

traditional used close ups of the artist featured on the cover but I

ended up using a wide shoot of my featured artist.

Another challenge to convention was the colour scheme for the

cover of my magazine which are typically very bright eye changing

colours but I went to other way in order to stand out by not being a

bright colour and so hope full noticeable in the sea of colour on a

shops shelf.

Another aspect of my magazine that is dif ferent is the style of

mast head as I have a continues banner at the top of the page

that incorporates my masthead instead of a masthead and a

banner along the bottom of the cover. Such as the one on the

Magazine in my conventions analysis, http ://ky lethorntonasmedia.b logspot .co .uk/201 3/09/q -magaz ine -cover -analys is .h tml

For my contents page I did some research in to similar products,

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/contents-page-comparisons.html

, I liked the style of the Vibe magazine but I also felt like it was not suitable for by style

of magazine as it would be closer to that of Q. Q use a list style contents with a selection

of images included with in it. This then lead to the style of contents I have now with the

text switching from side to side and images filling the space opposite the text. This also

allows for me space with which to place the information for contacting the magazine.

I continued to use the same font style for the contents as used in the Masthead to

continue the running theme through out the magazine. This was also the reason for the

title of the section being This Months PLAY LIST as this goes with name of the magazine

and the masthead. Other uses of this can be found in the details on the contents page.

I included another image of the cover star in order to illustrate the area of the contents

page his article could be found.

I looked further into double page spreads in order to find a style which I thought may

suit my style of magazine.

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/double-page-comparison.html

I feel that the layout that included a large image of the artist on the one page and the

article on the other such as in Q and Rolling Stone magazine. I did alter this slightly

though as through my questionnaire, http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/research-

and-analysis-of-target-market.html, I discovered that those in my demographic wished to see

tour dates in the magazine and so a had an image that cover half of one page and

filled the rest of that page with tour dates. I also included the feature artists logo,

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/east-of-west.html, as the

background for the article, similar to the one a used in a practice double page spread I

created, http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/pageplus.html.

2

HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA

PRODUCT REPRESENT

PARTICULAR SOCIAL

GROUPS?

My magazine will most likely represent of an age range of

between 16 and 25, similar to the age of the featured artist

In terms of race, class and gender there is no real distinction

of a particular representation.

There is a stereotypical representation of gender on the

magazine as the cover is dominated by a male feature artist.

REPRESENTATION

3

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA

INSTITUTION MIGHT

DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA

PRODUCT AND WHY?

A media institution that may produce my magazine may be

Future plc.

Future plc already publishes music magazines such as

FutureMusic, Guitar Techniques, Guitarist, musicradar, Rhythm

and Total Guitar.

http://www.futureplc.com/

4WHO WOULD BE THE

AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA

PRODUCT?

The audience for my magazine would similar to the audience of Q magazine and

potential some of the reader and audience of NME magazine. This audience is a

mixture of both genders as well as a variety of races and classes. The age of the

audience is typically from the older teenagers around age 16 and up and up to around

the mid twenties usually up until around 25. This was also similar to the age of people

that I used as a focus group.

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/research-and-analysis-of-target-

market.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/research-and-analysis-of-target-

market.html

5HOW DID YOU ATTRACT

YOUR AUDIENCE?

I attempted to attract an audience by not going with the

typical brightly coloured covers but instead when for black

and white to create a contrasts with the other magazines on

the shelf.

I also used a dif ferent font for the featured artist in order to

attract an audience.

The attitude of the cover artist will also attract my targeted

audience as they may see him as a recognisable figure as well

as having similar passions and attitude towards life.

The cover image may also attract my audience due to the

cover start wearing very recognisable clothing that fits a

certain style which may be a similar style to that of my target

audience.

6

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT

ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES

FROM THE PROCESS OF

CONSTRUCTING THE

PRODUCT?

Through the process of creating my final products I have used a variety of programmes

that can be used in the production of magazines such as PagePlus, Paint.net and

Microsoft Publisher. In order to use these programmes I need to learn how to effectively

use them, this has included how to uses layers, the ability to manipulate images and

also how to use it to construct the magazine itself.

Publisher: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/m-2.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/sound.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/pitch.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/possible-front-cover-

layout-drafting.html

Paint.net: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/reznor-rocks-nme.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/paintnet-practise.html

PagePlus: http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/pageplus.html

I have also learn how to take a higher quality photograph in order to have a better

quality of images that can then be used with in my final product.

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_2894.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_8927.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography_25.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/drafting-photography.html

I also had to have a better understanding of how typography should be used in

magazines and then also decide which is the most suitable fonts to be used with in my

final product.

http://issuu.com/pint.size/docs/type_rules/1?e=5736675/6401086

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/potential-band-names-research-

and.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mastheads.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/mastheads.html

http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/potential-mastheads.html

Through out this process I have presented all of my work using Blogger

and my blog - http://kylethorntonasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/. I feel that

blogger is a very simple and effective method of displaying work as it

allows for me to track my progress and see what I should focus on next.

To add the work to blogger was all so an easy process as it allows for you

to quickly and simply upload images, web links and either write or paste

in text meaning that you could plan posts out first on word and then copy

it to the post, it also allows for the posts to be easily be edited.

Publisher Paint.net PagePlus

A familiar software that I

was already comfortable

with

The ability edit images in a

variety of ways

Specifically designed for

the creation of similar

publications

The ability to easily create

font as well as edit style,

size and colour.

The feature to add different

filters to an image to

change the colour or style

of the image

The ability to export the

projects as variety of file

types.

The ability to save

documents as JPEGs and

PNGs

Basic tools and effect make

it easy to pick up.

STRENGTHS OF PROGRAMMES USED

Publisher Paint.net PagePlus

Publisher has a very limited

number of tools that can

not be added to

All features have to be

downloaded separately

The image editing can be

very complicated.

Very difficult to freely

structure the project due to

certain restrictions.

Can be difficult to edit text

once deselected.

WEAKNESS OF PROGRAMMES USED

7

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR

PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU

HAVE LEARNT IN THE

PROGRESSION FROM IT TO

THE FULL PRODUCT?

My preliminary task saw me attempt to create a cover and contents page for a school

magazine. My preliminary cover is very blank and nothing on it links with anything else

on the cover. It also does not include some key conventions.

Preliminary Final Product

Preliminary Final Product

My Preliminary tasks contents page looks more like a menu than a contents page, it

has no real structure and no images or other information, that show that it is a

magazine. Also the pages are very bunched and stop at a very low number.

8

HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOU

FEEL YOUR END PRODUCT IS

IN FULFILLING THE TASK?

HOW WELL DOES IT FIT THE

BRIEF?

I feel that I have been fairly successful in completing the

project laid out in the brief, I have successfully created a front

cover for a music magazine that features an original artist as

well as taking original photography that feature on my cover. I

have also created a feature article with in the magazine on

the double page spread I have also created. I also used

research in to other magazines of a similar style as well as

with my target audience to create a contents page that is

consistent with other magazines and also factors that were

wanted by my target market.

OVERALL IMPRESSION